Raine's portal opened into a world of silver and white—
an endless expanse of ice and snow, silent and absolute.
This place was no battlefield.
This was Guy's domain.
Unlike the last time, the destination was unmistakable: Guy Crimson's palace, standing alone like a monument carved from frozen eternity.
I stepped through first.
The moment my boots touched the floor, the cold outside vanished—as if reality itself bent to the will of the castle's master. The air inside was calm, tempered, almost warm. Yet the damage was impossible to ignore.
Half the palace lay in ruin.
Collapsed walls. Fractured pillars. Cracks running like scars through ancient stone.
Something catastrophic had happened here.
Raine guided me forward in silence.
Behind me followed Shion and Diablo, both alert, both restrained. They did not speak. They did not sit. They remained behind me—where they believed they belonged.
Guy was already waiting.
"So," he said calmly, crimson eyes locking onto mine, "you made it."
There was no mockery in his tone. No teasing. Only recognition.
"Milim and Dagruel will arrive soon. Until then, make yourself comfortable."
He turned and led us into a vast hall—wide enough to host a royal ball. Circular tables were scattered across the floor, chairs placed without rigid order. This was not a throne room.
This was a place where equals gathered.
I scanned the room.
Luminous Valentine was already present, seated with perfect composure.
Behind her stood Pope Louis and the elderly butler Gunther, both silent, both vigilant.
Leon Cromwell sat opposite her, expression unreadable.
Behind him stood his knights, Alrose and Claude, fully armed and disciplined.
Familiar faces.
I took a seat.
Shion and Diablo remained standing behind me.
I did not order them to sit.
Their choice reflected their respect, not insecurity.
Then—
A loud voice shattered the calm.
"HEY! What's the meaning of this?! You seriously left me behind?!"
Ah.
Here she comes.
Ramiris burst into the hall, wings fluttering,
expression furious.
Raine stiffened.
"R-Ramiris-sama?! Why weren't you with us—?!"
"I was supposed to be!" Ramiris snapped. "Do you know how long I waited?!"
Before Raine could respond, another voice cut in.
"I received an urgent request to retrieve Ramiris-sama."
Misery stepped forward.
Like Raine, she bore visible injuries—but her gaze was sharp, composed, unshaken.
Raine looked genuinely stricken.
"I… I was careless…"
I spoke calmly.
"It's fine. We all moved in haste."
Guy nodded.
"Exactly. And Atem—"
His gaze returned to me.
"I told you before. Drop the formalities with Raine and Misery."
Raine inclined her head.
"Please call us by name."
"It would make us… more at ease," Misery added.
I understood immediately.
Titles were distance.
Names were trust.
"Very well," I said simply. "Then I will."
No hesitation. No awkwardness.
Luminous observed quietly.
"You've already been calling me by name," she said. "So this changes little."
Leon nodded once.
"At this point, formality would feel dishonest."
I accepted that.
"Then we proceed as equals."
There was no laughter.
Only agreement.
At that moment—
"KUHAHAHAHA!"
The air itself seemed to vibrate.
A massive presence stepped forward behind Ramiris.
Veldora.
Luminous clicked her tongue, eyes narrowing.
"…That dragon."
Veldora ignored her completely.
"I heard there was an important meeting! Naturally, I couldn't miss it! I tried to follow Atem, but I was late—so I joined Ramiris instead!"
Ramiris puffed out her chest.
"Exactly! With Veldora here, it's like having a hundred allies!"
Beretta alone buried his face in his hands.
I sighed once—quietly.
"Veldora. Stay focused."
"Hah! Of course!"
He straightened instantly.
Guy watched this exchange with mild amusement—but no ridicule.
Soon after, Raine and Misery departed to escort the remaining guests.
Not long after—
The doors opened again.
"Wow, wow! You really couldn't warn us in advance?!"
Milim Nava stormed in, brimming with energy.
Behind her stood Frey and Karion.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Guy rose.
"No honorifics," he said evenly. "Not here. Everyone in this room has earned the right to stand without them."
Even Milim paused.
Frey inclined her head.
"Then… thank you."
Karion grinned.
"Works for me. So, Guy—what's this about?"
Guy's gaze swept the room once more.
"Dagruel will arrive shortly. Then we'll begin."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Frey and Karion.
"…You've both grown stronger."
Frey smiled faintly.
"This war forced us to evolve."
Karion laughed.
"Yeah. Guess playing along with Milim wasn't such a bad idea."
Milim crossed her arms, cheeks puffed.
"Hey! Stop saying weird things!"
I understood.
She had pushed them forward, knowing what the future demanded.
Then—
Heavy footsteps.
The hall trembled.
Dagruel entered alone.
He sat.
The stone chair creaked under his weight.
"…This place is wrecked," he said bluntly. "Looks serious."
The cracks in the walls said everything.
Guy stood.
"For once," he said, tone grave, "I need everyone's wisdom."
That alone silenced the room.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Let's move. This discussion deserves the full assembly."
He turned.
"Our Octagram convenes."
No one refused.
No one joked.
We followed.
Because when Guy Crimson called a meeting—
and when Atem, King of Games, stood among them—
It meant the world itself was about to change.
The venue was a hall with a round table that felt like it had been cut out of the world and sealed away.
It wasn't just "quiet."
It was the kind of silence where the air didn't even dare to move.
The walls looked ordinary at first glance—stone, ancient, heavy—but the more you stared the more you realized it wasn't stone at all. It was a layered barrier made physical. A room shaped from authority, not architecture.
And the drinks had already been prepared.
That part was impressive.
Not because of the quality.
But because it meant someone had arranged everything before any of us arrived, with perfect timing, perfect expectation, as if the room itself already knew which seats would be filled.
Guy sat at the top.
And opposite him sat Atem.
The King of Games didn't sit with casual comfort.
He sat like a ruler taking his place on a throne that didn't need decoration to prove it was a throne.
From Atem's point of view:
Milim was on Guy's right, legs swinging slightly under the table, her smile sharp like a blade that wanted action.
Ramiris was on Guy's left, her chair small but raised higher than the tabletop, as if the table itself had been forced to acknowledge her height.
To Atem's right sat Leon, straight-backed, eyes narrowed, calm but ready.
Between Milim and Leon sat Luminous, serene on the surface, but there was a cold weight behind her gaze—like a cathedral bell that hadn't rung yet.
On the other side sat Dagruel, massive, arms folded, the chair beneath him several times heavier than anything normal, balancing the absurdity of Ramiris' tiny seat.
And between Atem and Dagruel—
There was an empty seat.
The moment Atem noticed it, he didn't change expression.
But he remembered it.
Because empty seats at a table like this were never accidents.
Dagruel's voice rolled through the room like stone grinding.
"By the way… there's an empty seat."
He didn't say the name.
He didn't need to.
All eyes shifted toward Guy.
Guy's red eyes moved once—briefly—to Atem, then away again.
Careful.
Controlled.
Then he spoke.
"Don't waste your thoughts on that seat," Guy said flatly. "We're not waiting for anyone."
Dagruel frowned. "So it's decided."
Guy nodded once. "It's decided."
Milim leaned forward. "So what happened?"
Guy didn't answer Milim immediately.
Instead, he looked at Atem again—this time not as a challenge, but as a reminder of a line he had crossed once and would not cross again.
Then he started explaining, in a tone that made it very clear this wasn't a funny story.
"I tried to send someone into Eterna," Guy said. "A long time ago."
Atem's gaze didn't change.
But the room got tighter anyway.
Guy continued.
"I didn't do it out of friendship. I did it for information. To understand what Eterna really was… and what you really were."
Leon's eyes flicked to Atem, then back to Guy.
Luminous didn't speak, but her expression hardened slightly, like she disapproved of the very idea.
Guy's voice sharpened.
"That attempt failed."
Ramiris blinked. "Failed how?"
Guy's mouth curled into something that wasn't a smile.
"Because Atem noticed."
Milim's grin widened like she was proud. "Of course he did."
Guy's gaze stayed steady.
"I misjudged how far I could push things. I misjudged what kind of authority exists inside Eterna."
He paused.
Then said the next part clearly, without dressing it up:
"I almost died for that."
The room went silent.
Dagruel lowered his eyes for a moment, like someone filing information away.
Leon's fingers tapped once against the table—an involuntary reaction, then stillness.
Luminous spoke quietly.
"…So you learned."
Guy answered immediately.
"Yes."
No one laughed.
No one teased.
Atem didn't say anything yet.
He didn't need to.
His silence was heavier than any speech.
Dagruel finally broke the moment.
"We have something more important to discuss."
Everyone knew what he meant.
Guy nodded once.
Milim's playful energy dimmed a little, as if even she understood the weight.
And then the name that still tasted like poison entered the room.
"Michael," Luminous said, her tone cold.
Guy's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you've heard."
Atem spoke before the room could drift.
"I didn't just hear."
His voice was calm, controlled, and final.
"I destroyed him."
That sentence hit harder than any roar.
Ramiris froze mid-breath.
Leon's eyes widened slightly before he forced them back into control.
Dagruel's expression shifted from suspicion to something else—something that looked like a giant realizing a mountain just moved.
Even Milim went quiet for a second.
Guy stared at Atem.
Not with disbelief.
With understanding.
Because Guy didn't need proof.
Guy had seen the aftermath of Atem's presence before. He knew what "final" sounded like when it came from the King of Games.
Atem continued.
"Michael evolved into a will. Seized Rudra. Used domination as a weapon."
A pause.
"And now he no longer exists."
Guy exhaled slowly. "Then that problem is gone."
Luminous didn't relax.
"Gone… but the damage isn't."
Dagruel rumbled, "Explain."
That was when Guy stood up.
"I'll explain," Guy said.
And despite how proud he was, he chose his words carefully—because Atem was listening, and Guy knew what it meant to speak carelessly around someone who could end you.
"The laws of this world were established by Veldanava," Guy began. "But laws aren't absolute if someone has authority that can interfere with them."
He lifted one hand.
"Even without direct authority, magicules and will can bend rules temporarily. That's magic."
"And Skills," Leon added quietly, "are systems that do it consistently."
Guy nodded.
"A Skill is a structured phenomenon. A system that links desire, soul, and law."
He looked around the table.
"Angelic Ultimate Skills were created directly by Veldanava. They're rooted in authority, not temptation. Among them are seven powers called the Virtues."
Milim tilted her head. "Say them."
Guy didn't refuse.
He listed them clearly.
Ultimate Skill 'Justice King Michael' — mental control and domination, and the absolute defense known as Castle Guard
Ultimate Skill 'Knowledge King Raphael' — law management and support
Ultimate Skill 'Covenant King Uriel' — spatial management and system control
Ultimate Skill 'Hope King Sariel' — the circle of reincarnation
Ultimate Skill 'Purity King Metatron' — sorting, separation, selection of pure energy
Ultimate Skill 'Charity King Raguel' — amplification and support, given to Velgrynd
Ultimate Skill 'Patience King Gabriel' — fixation and response to unforeseen change, given to Velzard
Ramiris swallowed.
Luminous' eyes narrowed as she processed it.
Leon remained still, but his expression was grim.
Dagruel muttered, "So that's the structure…"
Guy continued.
"Veldanava left the strongest one—Michael—then scattered others or handed them out. Some returned to reincarnation as seeds. Some surfaced as Unique Skills first."
Atem listened without expression.
Inside his mind, Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom remained silent—watching, recording, understanding.
Luminous spoke, voice sharp.
"If angelic authority exists like that… then the difference between angelic and demonic becomes vague in practice."
Guy nodded. "Exactly. Which is why Michael's domination was more dangerous than it should have been."
He looked at Atem again.
"And you already saw that firsthand."
Atem answered simply.
"When Velgrynd and Rudra attacked Eterna."
Milim's eyes widened slightly. "You really handled that alone?"
Atem didn't boast.
"I handled it."
Guy's gaze hardened.
"You didn't just handle it. You ended it."
Atem's eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone sharpened by a fraction.
"And don't ever attempt to place spies in Eterna again."
A warning.
Not shouted.
Not threatened.
But it landed like a blade pressed gently against the throat.
Guy gave one small nod.
"I won't."
No sarcasm.
No teasing.
Guy Crimson wasn't suicidal.
Dagruel's heavy voice returned.
"Then explain the castle."
Everyone's eyes drifted to the cracks we all remembered seeing earlier—how half the palace looked like it had been ripped open and frozen mid-collapse.
Guy's jaw tightened.
"…Velzard."
The name made the room colder.
Dagruel's expression darkened. "So it's true."
Guy nodded once.
"It happened. She was taken."
Luminous' fingers tightened on the table.
Leon's gaze sharpened.
Ramiris' wings went still.
Milim leaned forward, grin gone. "Who did it?"
Guy answered grimly.
"Michael's side. Or rather—what remained of that chain of domination before Atem destroyed it."
Dagruel's voice rumbled, tense. "So you're saying Velzard turned against us."
Guy's answer was immediate.
"Yes."
Dagruel exhaled sharply.
"That's a big deal."
Guy didn't disagree.
"It's catastrophic."
Atem's voice cut through the weight like steel.
"If she ever threatens Eterna, I will deal with her."
The room stopped.
Not because it was arrogant.
Because it was said like law.
Dagruel stared at Atem.
Leon looked like he wanted to speak but decided not to.
Luminous' expression tightened—not disrespect, but the tension of someone realizing the scale of what they're standing near.
Ramiris whispered, almost to herself, "He said it like it's inevitable…"
Milim suddenly laughed—bright and fearless.
"Wahahaha! That's what I'm talking about! This is getting fun!"
Nobody joined her.
But nobody corrected her either.
Because Milim being Milim was the only "light" the room could tolerate right now.
Guy continued, voice low.
"The problem isn't just Velzard. It's that angelic authority can be scattered beyond the Seven Virtues."
Dagruel frowned. "How many angelic Ultimate Skills exist?"
Guy shook his head.
"I don't know all of them. When I fought Veldanava, I couldn't see the bottom of what he held."
Silence wrapped the table again.
Guy continued.
"He told me about the Seven Virtues. He also said he intended to grant special powers to the Seven Original Angels. But not all could bear them."
Luminous' voice was bitter.
"So the number could be… fourteen, or more."
Guy nodded.
"At least."
Ramiris leaned forward.
"Okay, angelic is terrifying. But what about demonic?"
Guy's expression shifted.
"That's harder to explain. But listen."
He tapped the table lightly.
"I gained Unique Skill 'Pride' when I was defeated by Veldanava. I observed him. I imitated pure authority. And a Skill was born."
Leon spoke quietly.
"So demonic Skills are… reflections?"
Guy nodded.
"An imitation created by will. Desire. Defiance. A mirror that becomes real."
Luminous murmured, half to herself:
"So there is symmetry."
Guy continued, voice steady.
"At minimum, Virtues correspond to Deadly Sins."
He listed the likely pairs, as you wrote:
Justice King Michael ↔ Wrath King Satanael
Knowledge King Raphael ↔ Gluttonous King Beelzebuth
Hope King Sariel ↔ Sloth King Belphegor
Purity King Metatron ↔ Lustful King Asmodeus
Charity King Raguel ↔ Greedy King Mammon
Patience King Gabriel ↔ Envy King Leviathan
The table stayed quiet, everyone processing.
Atem listened.
But unlike the others, he wasn't trapped in fear of theory.
Because he already knew something they didn't.
They were still mapping the ceiling.
While Atem had already stepped beyond it.
Inside, Solarys remained silent—conveniently so.
Not because Solarys was absent.
Because Solarys understood that Atem didn't need to reveal anything here.
Not yet.
Not to people still trying to understand an enemy Atem already erased.
Atem's gaze moved slowly across the table—Guy, Milim, Ramiris, Leon, Luminous, Dagruel.
Then he spoke, calm and absolute.
"Now that Michael is gone, you will stop panicking about his shadow."
His eyes settled on Guy.
"And you will focus on what comes next."
Guy didn't smile.
He didn't joke.
He nodded, respectful and serious.
"…Agreed."
The round table remained sealed.
The world outside remained frozen.
But inside that room, a new truth was taking shape:
The Demon Lords weren't debating survival anymore.
They were being forced to think about the next war—
A war that would begin after Michael.
A war that would test whether anyone alive truly understood what Atem was.
And whether they could endure the era he was about to impose.